Clasp-brake for railway-trucks.



, L. J. BERG.

CLASP BRAKE FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS. APPLIUATION FILED 0 0126, 1912. PatentedFeb; 17,1914

, z sums-sum '1.

L. J. BERG. CLASP BRAKE FDR RAILWAY TRUCKS.

2 slums-sum 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1914. 0

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1912.

LABS J. BERG, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLASP-BRAKE FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS.

Specification of Letters Pat ent. Patented F b '17 191 Application filedoctober 26, 1912. SeriaI Ila 727,845.

To all evizom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, LABS J. BERG, a citizen of the United States,residing atChicago, 1n the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasp-Brakes forRailway-Trucks,-of which the following '-'is a specification. Thisinvention relates to brakes for railway 'ca'rs and particularly to themounting of brakes and their operating mechanism upon six-wheel trucks,a pair of trucks to each wheel.

In six-wheel'trucks of the Pullman type it has heretofore. beeninconvenient, if not impossible, to employ two brake shoes for eachwheel for the reason that the various parts of the truck structureinterfered with the mounting of the brake shoes in-such manner as to bereadily accessible for ad justment and replacement, and also interfer'ed with the mounting of the mechanism for readily and eifectivelyoperating simultaneously and uniformly the twelve brake shoesnecessitated in such equipment of sixwheel trucks.

By the employment of substantially straight equalizing bars and thehousing of the equalizing springs in recesses of the truck frame, whichinvention forms the subject matter of a separate patent application, Ihave made possible the use of a pair of brake shoes acting upon eachwheel of a sixwheel truck; and the present application. has to do withthe form, construction and ar-. rangement of the truck structure andbrake operating mechanism whereby the twelve brake shoes of such a truckmay be manipulated in a most practical and efiicient manner.

In order that those skilled in the art may have a full and completeunderstanding of the features of construction embodying this invention,I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of a six-wheel truck ofthe Pullman type equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 IS a verticallongitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig 1 w th certain partsbroken away, and Flg. 4 1s a fragmentary view showing the middle wheelof the-truck upon the same line as Fig. 2,

put with certain modifications as to strucure.-

As is customary in constructions of this general character the truckframe comprises the end pieces 11, 11, the wheel pieces, 12, 12, thetransom tie bars 13, 13, and assoelated with the pairof truck bolsters14, 14, the middle transoms 15, 15, and the outer transoms 16, 16, thetruck bolsters supporting the center bearing arch bars 17, 17 betweenwhich is arranged the truck center plate 18.

v The three axles 19 are each equipped with a pair of wheels 20, 20, theends of the axles being mounted in the usual manner in jour nal boxes,not shown the space between the journal boxes on one side of the truckbeing bridged by substantially straight equalizing bars between whichand the wheel piece are disposed equalizing springs seated above in thespring caps 21. Truck bolsters 14 are supported in the usual manner uponbolster springs mounted in the usual manner upon spring planks 22 hungwithin the swing hangers 23, the bolster springs being omitted from thedrawings for purposes of clearness. Each of the wheels 20 is equippedwith a pair of brake shoes 24, 24 carried by brake beams 25 includingthe truss rods 26 and struts 27 the brake shoes being suspended from thetruck frame by means of the brake hangers 28 in the usual manner.

The struts 27 of the two brake beams ad-i medial port-ion at-32 betweena pair of floating levers 33, the lower ends of which are pivotallyconnected at 34 to a tie rod 35 I pivoted at 36 to the strut oftheoutermost brake beams arranged exterior to the outer wheels, while tothe upper ends of each of these levers 33 is connected an operating link37 extending toward t-he end of the truck. The floating levers 33 areprovided with segmental slots 38 within which play respectively thepivot pin 30 of the lever 31 and the pivot'p'in 39 by which the free endof thelever 31 is connected toa link 40 extending therefrom toward thecenter of the truck. The connect-ing links 40'have them other endspivoted at 41 to levers 42 fulcrumed at 43 on the brackets 44 of thetransom 15, the opposite arm of each of the levers 42 being pivoted at45 within the struts 27 ofthe brake beams associated with the middlewheel.

That operating linlr 37 disposed at the crumed in its middle-'porhon at48 upon the end of the tension roddt) leading from pneuinatic or othersuitable operating mechanism which memberi iglfif mayfor convenience bedesignated as a brake rod. That operating link 37 at the lefthand end ofthetruck 'is pivoted at 50 to one end of a lever 51 fulcrumed at 52 uponthe truck frame.

A connecting rod 53 is secured to the other end of the lever 51 at 54and to the corresponding end of the lever d7 at 55. v

In order to accommodate the connecting links and the connecting rod 53,the truck bolsters let and the transoms and 16 are apertured at 56 and57 and the said links and rod extend therethrough, the truck cen-' terplate being likewise apertured at 58 to" accommodate the connecting rod;Preferably the apertures in these parts are elongated vertically to'formslots in order to provide for vertical .movement of the parts in use.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the operation will be seen to be as follows: Assuming that tension isapplied to the brake rod 49, thetulcrum d8 and the lever l7 will bemoved hodily to the right together with the connecting rod 53 and theoperating link 37 at the right hand end of the truck, While at the lefthand end of the truck the movernent of the connecting rod 53 to theright will be transmitted by the lever 51 to the operating link 37causing the same to move in the opposite direction. As the operatingmechanism for the two halves of the truck are duplicates one of theother the movement of the parts connected to the respective operatinglinks 37, 37, will be the same.

Referring to the mechanism at the right hand end of the truck, as link37 moves to the right the.,upper end 'of the floating lever 33 will belikewise moved to the right upon its fulcrum 32, the lower end of thelever 33 moving to the left'and drawing,

therewith ,b means of the tie rod the brake shoe-Helen the outside ofits wheel. The resistance offered by the brake shoe 24 and tie rod 35 tothe movement of the lower end of the lever 33 will cause the floatingfiller-1111132 of said leverv and with it-the lever 31 to move to theright, the lever 33 tilting upon the pivot 34 as a fulcrum and the lever31 moving bodily to the right. The lower end of the lever 31 beingpivoted to the strut of the brake beam such pivot 30 acts as a fulcrumfor said lever upon which its upper end moves to the right, suchmovement being transmitted by means of the connecting link 10 to thelever 42 the lower end I t eatres of which is connected to the brakebeam mounted on the right hand side of ithe. 'IIIlClCllS wheel, and bythe resultant movement of the lever 42' the brake shoe is applied to themiddle wheel. vAs before stated identically the same action takes placeat the left hand end of the truck so that the twelve brake shoes of thetruck are applied simultaneously and uniformly to their several wheels.

In Fig. d a slightly modified arrangement is shown in connection withthe middle wheel. In this form of construction the levers 42, 42 insteadof having 'a fixed ful crum,as in the former case, are fulcrumed at 59upon opposite ends of a fulcrum bar I 60 which serves to furtherequalize thepressure of the two brake shoes operating upon said wheel.

Whilel have herein illustrated and de scribed with a considerable degreeof par-' ticularity one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent.to those skilled in the art that the same issusceptible of avariety ofmodifications without departure from the essence of the invention andwithout the 2. In a railway car-truck, -the combina tion of a pair ofcar-wheels, three brakebeams, a brake-shoe on each of said bea1ns,-

theshoes on a pair of saidbeams being adapted to engage opposite sidesof the peripheryof one of said wheels; the shoe on the thirdbrake-beambeing adapted to en] ,gage the other wheel, a.lever connected to one. ofthe brake-beams ofsaid pair, a floating lever fulcrumed .on saidfirstlever,

a connection between said floating-lever and ;the other brake-beam ofthe pair, a connection between. said first lever and the thirdbrake-beam, and means to operate said floating lever whereby to causethe pair of brakeshoes to grasp one wheel and the third brake-shoe tocoact with the other wheel,

substantially as described. I 3. In a. sixewheel railwaycar-truck, thecombination of three pairs of car-wheels, the

wheelsofieach' pair being at opposite sides of thetruck, a pairofhrake-bearns for each pair of and wheels, a pair of brake shoes oneach of said brake-beams n-providing two brake-shoes for each of thefour end wheels, a pair of brake-beams for the middle'pair of wheels ofthe truck, a pair of brake-shoes on each of said brake-beams providing.two

I bIZtkQz-SIIOGS for-each of the middle wheels of the truck,opera'tlngrmeans associatin to:

gether thet-brake beams-of one pair'o end wheels and one jof thebrake-beams of the middle-wheel, an -operatin means for the otherpair-of hrakejbeams for the end whee-ls andthe other 'bralie beam of themiddlepair.

of wheels c'ompri'singfa brake rod, aleverfulcrumed thereon,andhavingonezarm connected to the first me tion d operating means, a secondleverswith a fixed fulcrum and havmg one arm connectedfto the secondmentioned opera'tingmeans, and a connecting rod connecting the other"ends of said.

levers, vsubstantially as described:

In asix-wheel railway car truck, theconii I hination of three pairs ofcar wheelsQ-the' wheeis ofi each pair being at oppositesidesof thstl faair of brake-beams for each pair-i end W eels,'a'pair of brake shoes oneach of-said brake beams rovidingtwo-brake shoes for each of the ourendwheels, a

pairfoi brake beams for the middle pair-"of wheels of the'-t ruck,-oapair of brakeshoes" en each of said brake beams providing two brakeshoes for each of the middle wheels'ofthe truck, a first l'ev rconnectedto oneof the pair of brake beams for an end wheel, a

floating lever fulcrumed on the first lever, a connection between saidfloating lever and the other brake beam 'of the pair, a connectionbetween said first lever and one of the brake beams for the middle-wheel, and.-

Ineans to operate said floating lever whereby cause the pair of brakeshoes-to grasp one end wheel and-the third brake shoe to coact- 'withpneside of thb middle wheel, alike operating means for the remaining brakef beams-and shoes anda connection between 'saido'perating meansassociatedwith the lev'ers o'fthe two ends of thetruck whereby all ofthebrakeshoes of the truckare simul 113119911513 app ed to 3:11 thewhee1s,-subst'an* tially as described.

'5.In a. railway car-truck the combina-, jtion with cafrf-wheels, a'truck-frame anda movablebolster, of a brake-shoe and operata ing'mechanism-located .at one side of the bolster, a second brake shoe an'd'operating mechanism located at the ,opposite side of.

the bolster, and a rod connecting said operating mechanisms; the pointsof conned;-

stantially as described.

ter, being aperturedfor the accommodation of said rod, substantially asdescribed. In a railway car-truck, the combination. wlth car'wheels, atruck-frame, and a movable bolster,,of abrake-shoe and operatingmechanism located at one side of the bolster, a second brake shoe andoperating mechanism at the opposite side of the bolster, and

-tion o fj'said rod with said operatingmecha-f nisms being-on oppositesides of 'and'sub-o 7.

s'tantiallyon a level with the bolster, the lat a rodconnecting saidoperating mechanisms,

-the points of connection of said rod with said operating mechanismsbeing oil-opposite sides of and substantially on a level with thebolster and parts of the truck-frame, the

bolster and said parts of the truck-frame bea opposite side ofsaidbolster, transom and truck eenter plate, and a rod connecting said.0. eratmg mechanisms, the points of connecmen; of saidrod with saidoperating mechan1sms b eing on opposite sides of and suband a car truckhaving a bolster, a transam, and astantially on' a level with thebolster, tran-i 3 'som and truck center-plate, said bolstef, transomandtruck center-plate being provided with apertures alined longitudinallyof the truck and receiving the rod, suhstan tially as described.

, 8. The combination with car wheels and a car-truck having a truckcenter-plate, and bolsters and transoms at opposite sides of the'center-plate, of a brake shoe and bper'atsecond-brake shoe andoperating mechanism' at the opposite end of the truck, and a rodconnecting' said operating mechanisms, the

points of connection of said rod with said operating mechanisms being on'opposlte sides of andsubstantially ona level with the transoms,"rbolsters and truck' center-plate,

said truck center-plate, bolsters and tra'nso'ms having apertures almedlongitud nally .of the truck and receiving the said rod, sub- LABS J.BERG.

'- .Witnesses: 4

' ALVAREY- A; BARNES,

LUTHER Jonas;

ing mechanism at one end-of the truck, a

